It wasn’t until her phone rang that she checked the time. It was already half past six.

This time she had the foresight to set an alarm so she wouldn’t miss dinner again.

Only after shedding her lab coat did Ye Lu realize how hungry she was, to the point of feeling faint. In truth, this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, she would often lose track of time during her school experiments.

People in research were well accustomed to hunger.

But this time she felt particularly famished, so hungry that she felt weak, barely capable of even walking. She floated towards the cafeteria.

This time she timed her arrival correctly, everyone else was already dining.

They all seemed cheerful, creating a relaxed atmosphere. Only she was too tired to even exchange greetings.

"Xiao Ye, come sit over here," the director beckoned her over to their large table.

It was only as Ye Lu walked over that she noticed the table was full of company leaders, and startlingly, across from her was Third Young Master Jun, eating his meal leisurely, maintaining a posture of elegance as if he were enjoying a French banquet. She was taken aback at the sight of him eating with the directors.

"Xiao Ye, why is your face so pale?" Director Li asked, looking at her in surprise.

His words immediately drew everyone’s attention to her, even Third Young Master Jun looked up, his indifferent gaze passing over her face.

Ye Lu barely managed a smile; the attention of all these people made her feel incredibly awkward and she hurriedly took a seat.

"Forgot to have lunch and got a bit hungry," she said.

Bai Sijia looked at her with surprise, then laughed, "Ye Lu, you’re extremely committed. We could all take a lesson from you; you’re so engrossed in your experiment you even forget to eat. That’s dedication."

The delegates around them chuckled in agreement. "Indeed, indeed, Xiao Ye is truly diligent."

Ye Lu wasn’t sure if Sijia was praising her or being sarcastic.

She didn’t have the energy to speculate, and when her meal arrived, she began eating without a word. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

She was so hungry that her spoon-holding hand shook, and the clatter of it dropping to the ground drew everyone’s attention. Everyone looked at her strangely.

Third Young Master Jun furrowed his brow.

Even Director Li felt embarrassed, "Xiao Ye, what’s happening? You can’t even hold a spoon properly."

"I’m a bit distracted," she responded reluctantly, her face now paler.

"She’s probably still lost in her experiment, she’s forgotten how to hold a spoon. Girls from our country are so hardworking, unlike abroad where the moment it’s lunchtime, everyone scurries away. Occasionally, when there’s some free time, you absolutely won’t find anyone in the lab. I really do envy their dedication, I’m too lazy," joked Bai Sijia with a laugh.

The manager of ZA Company immediately chuckled, "What’s the point of being so committed in our country? Many just cram and don’t understand flexibility, there’s no point in all their effort. The education abroad is better, combining work with rest, they’re even more efficient. Sijia, you’re the model of modern talent. Sijia, where are you upto in your work?"

Director Li and Ye Lu didn’t appreciate his mockery. Their faces turned sour, but neither of them responded.

"We are already halfway through with inoculation. In another two hours, I will be finished."

"You are so quick, quite impressive. It seems like you’ll be the first one to finish."

Bai Sijia looked towards Ye Lu and asked, "And Ye Lu, where are you upto in your process?"

Ye Lu put down her spoon, "I’m in the middle of cutting plant tissues."

The room promptly filled with murmurs.

The ZA manager looked shocked, "No way, you even skipped lunch and you’re only here, this is too slow."

The director quickly intervened, "Our Xiao Ye is more meticulous."